Just a Kiss
by FrostInTheWarren
Summary: Jack Frost is the world's biggest slut. Everyone knows it. It's funny then, that Jack's actually a three hundred year-old virgin and trying to keep that a secret. Too bad no one told Jack unicorns are hard to hide things from. (Or: Jack's a scared virgin in a world of people who want to molest him, Bunny sticks his foot in his mouth, and unicorns come to the rescue.) Jackrabbit
1. And I told you to be patient

**This story is actually finished.**  
**It's...four or five chapters, I can't remember. Short, is what I'm saying. Was nearly a long one-shot, until it passed the 10,000 word mark.**  
**But this chapter is going up a few weeks early. I'd intended to hold off until CoS was finished, but oh well.**  
**Note, chapter two won't be posted for at least two weeks (unless you sneaky devils tease it out of me, you sneaky things you...)**  
**Songs this chapter was written to: _Skinny Love_ cover by Birdy; _Jar of Hearts_ by Christina Perri; and _I'm Not An Angel_ by Halestorm.**

* * *

Wisdom consists in being able to distinguish among dangers and make a choice of the least harmful.

-Machiavelli, _The Prince_, 1532

* * *

Apparently being a virgin in the world of myths and spirits was hazardous to one's health.

Jack scrubbed his bare skin raw with snow, and when that melted he conjured more. No matter how much he rubbed he couldn't seem to remove the horrible feeling of lips on his chest or hands on his waist. He only stopped when one hand came back wet with bloody snow. He stared at the red spotted slush. Pursing his lips, Jack squeezed his hand into a fist, the snow squishing between his fingers, and tossed it aside. He sat heavily next to his folded white shirt and brown cloak on the ground, head in his hands.

This was the ninth time in a third as many years that he'd felt so dirty, and that said something considering he could only remember being around for five. The first spirit he'd ever met had seen fit to try and touch him like this as well. He'd barely gotten out an excited, "Hello there!" before the other—a winter sprite—had had his fingers in Jack's hair, yanking his head back to plant kisses on Jack's neck.

"Get off!" he'd shouted, pushing the other away and bringing a hand up defensively to his neck.

"Oh, is the little virgin shy?" The sprite had smirked, sharp teeth peeking from light blue lips that were a shade darker than the sprite's skin. "How sweet."

Jack'd pointed his staff as threateningly as he'd been able, which wasn't much, considering he'd only been learning for three years, and on his own at that. A blush frosted on his cheeks he'd said, "How do you know that? It's none of your business!"

The sprite had rolled his dark eyes. "I can _smell _it on you, virgin. Now," the sprite took a step forward, and Jack had stiffened, "how about I help you get rid of it?"

Jack had promptly knocked him away with a gust of wind and taken off, riding the air currents high in the clouds until he was far enough away to begin the scrubbing process that had become routine by now.

Over and over for the next few years Jack had been attacked by a spirit seeking to aid him in 'removing' his virgin scent. The last had been particularly aggressive, one of those fey types that would have just as quickly deflowered him as tricked him into going Underhill for an eternity. The fey had even attempted a _glamour_ on him. Jack may have found himself growing stronger, but he was still pretty new to magic and fighting. He hadn't had much of an opportunity to build up a resistance to any spells, and the _glamour_ had nearly worked.

He'd felt so lightheaded all of a sudden, sweet calm laxing his muscles as a hazy pleasure settled across his senses. He would have been putty in the fey's hands if he hadn't spoken.

"Such pale skin," he'd murmured, grazing his teeth across Jack's chest and fingers dipping into Jack's waistband. His tongue had lapped Jack's nipple, and Jack'd keened. "Such sweet noises, too. Make more of them for me, virgin."

_That_ had knocked Jack out of it, and his staff had seen to it that the fey got knocked quite out of it as well. Really. The only thing that turned him off more than _rape_ was when they referred to him as 'virgin' like it was some sort of lesser title. Like he wasn't a _person_.

Jack sighed, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face in them instead. "What's wrong with being a virgin, anyway?" he mumbled.

"Nothin'."

Jack jumped, spinning in his seated position and scooping his staff up with ease to point at the new addition to the copse of trees he'd taken refuge in. "Who are you?"

A leprechaun held his hands up, messy red hair with bangs braided on either side of his forehead framing his bored hazel eyes. He was short, but not as short as Jack had once believed leprechauns to be. This one might have even been a little tall at around five feet. He looked down his sharply pointed nose at Jack, brow raised condescendingly.

A leather satchel bounced on the leprechaun's hip as he sighed impatiently. "Are you going to do anything, or am I gonna be standin' here all day? I've got work to do!"

"Why did you sneak up on me?" Jack demanded.

The leprechaun scoffed. "Sneak up on you? _You_'re the one hangin' about in front of my home!"

Jack blinked, and looked around, staff lowering slightly. All he saw were trees. "Where?"

The leprechaun, sensing the end of Jack's threat, stalked around him and twisted a seemingly ordinary knot on the tree just behind him. The bark seemed to ripple, and split down the middle, folding into the sides to reveal a hollow inside, and a staircase leading down under the earth. The leprechaun took a step in, then twisted at the waist to look back at Jack.

"Well?" the leprechaun said. "Are ye comin' or not? Or do you want to continue hangin' about where other virgin enthusiasts might catch ya? That blood ain't exactly helpin' you any."

Jack got to his feet and picked up his shirt and cloak, slipping both on before following after with his staff at the ready. The leprechaun rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs. Jack followed, only slightly startled when the bark folded out once more and closed the entrance behind him. They went down for about thirty seconds before the spiral of stairs stopped, leading into a large room that seemed sectioned off according to purpose. In the far right corner, partitioned by an open curtain, was what appeared to be a 'bedroom' with an old mattress and thick, plush pillows and quilts. This area was darker than the rest of the room, the curtains hiding it away from the light of the fire in the pit in the center of the room and the lanterns that hung from the ceiling on hooks. Dozens of plants Jack didn't recognize hung around the rest of the ceiling by thin wires in bundles.

Next to the 'bedroom' was a 'sitting room,' with a large bookshelf stretching across the back wall from one side nearly to the partitioning curtain. Its shelves were filled with books of various sizes and scrolls. Huge pillows, likely meant to be chairs, were strewn about around a low circular table. Other than that, the rest room seemed to be dedicated to a 'kitchen' of sorts. The left and right walls were lined by smooth stone counters all the way down to where the 'bedroom' and 'sitting room' began. The right counter was strewn with empty bottles, inkwells, quills, and heavy journals. The shelves inlaid into the wall above the counters were filled with potions in small stoppered bottles.

If Jack was correct and the right counter was for bottling and storing potions, and perhaps recording them or their recipes if the thick journals were anything to go by, then the left was for making the potions themselves. A few small cauldrons were placed on its top, pestles and mortars dappled between them. The shelving above this counter was filled with what had to have been ingredients, with jars of odd liquids and pastes and bundles of vegetation placed carefully in their spots. A bucket of water and a ladle rested on the floor in front of this counter, and a bag of apples spilled its contents next to it.

Jack took all of this in as the leprechaun set his satchel on the left counter. The leprechaun began removing its contents, a knife, a vial of red liquid, a bundle of roots of some sort, a few gold coins, and—was that _hair?_

"Where did you get that?" Jack pointed to what he could only guess was a young adult's severed hair, still adorned with the bow it had been tied back with.

"I cut it off a young man," he answered. The leprechaun picked up one of the gold coins, and flipped it between his fingers. "A greedy merchant's son, seekin' to augment his own fortune by coming to the end of my rainbow looking for a pot of gold." The leprechaun snorted, and tossed the coin over his shoulder. "_Useless_. They only get one coin, and it's not even real gold."

"What is it, then?" Jack watched the coin bounce, then lay quiet and dull in the dirt.

"It's magic, of course. Moment they get it it fades away cause of the spell on it, and it shows 'em what needs to be seen." The leprechaun picked up the hair and waved it. "In return for givin' them a lesson, I take what I need for my potions. All leprechauns do it."

"I knew you were all potion makers, but I didn't think you needed ingredients from humans," Jack said cautiously.

"Only for some, and it's not like we kill them." The leprechaun began putting the items away on the shelves. "Besides, we don't _really _hurt them. Spot of hair here, bit of blood there; it's nothing too much."

Jack wasn't sure that comforted him at all, but he set aside his misgivings and stepped closer to the leprechaun. "What's your name?"

The leprechaun glanced at him. "Kith." He finished and closed his satchel, setting it aside. "Yours?"

"Jack Frost." Jack followed Kith when he gestured to the low table and pillows. Jack sat cross-legged on a red cushion, and watched Kith sit across with one knee drawn up to his chest, the other stretched out underneath the table.

"You're a virgin." Kith rested his cheek on his knee.

Jack blushed frost. "Yes, I am." He hesitated, then added, "What did you mean when you said being a virgin wasn't a bad thing?"

"You mean you really don't know?" Kith raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"No."

"Well, that _is_ interesting." Kith drummed his fingers on his calf. "Virgins are rare in our world. The few there are are kept hidden away by a mentor or guardian until they're ready to be courted; usually around forty or fifty years. At that time they give off a scent. The stronger the scent, the more powerful the virgin is—and the more _desirable _as a result." Kith gave Jack an inscrutable look. "You have the strongest scent I've ever smelled, and the scent only gets stronger as the virgin ages and grows into their abilities."

"You mean the attacks are going to get worse?" Jack clenched his fists on his thighs.

Kith nodded. "How old are you Jack? With a scent like yours, and how naïve you are to this, I'd say your scent must have set in early…and you're a winter spirit, they're notoriously infertile and a spot mean, so it's not surprising you've got no mentor or guardian, like you would if you were of another season or species. I'd say you're what, thirty-five? Forty at youngest? How long have you been gettin' attacked because of your scent?"

"I've been getting attacked for three years," Jack answered. "And I've been around for five years."

Kith stared at him. "Five years old? So your scent set in at what, two years?"

Jack nodded. "Is that very strange?"

"I said _forty_ or _fifty _was average." Kith's eyes scanned Jack like he was a particularly interesting specimen. "For it to set in _that_ early is unheard of." He laughed, and it sounded amazed and bemused. He shook his head. "And to think it'll only get worse. You must be quite the potent virgin, Jack."

"Why does it even _matter?_" Frustration lined his words with sharpness. "You say the scent means power, but what does one person's power have to do with the people who attack me? Is it just that the scent is that desirable?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that." Kith tapped his finger on the table. "When a virgin is bedded, the virgin gets a power boost. A boost that their partner _shares_ in. The more powerful the virgin, the bigger the boost. So the stronger the scent, the more powerful the virgin, the bigger the boost, and we have a cycle."

"But you don't seem to be interested in me."

"It's not so much personal power I'm interested in, as it is potion power, and bedding a virgin won't help me with that."

Jack slumped dejectedly. "It's not going to end, is it?"

"Not until you're rid of your virginity, no."

"Is…," Jack looked up at Kith, pained and hopeful, "is there _nothing_ I can do to stop it? I don't want to get attacked all the time, but I don't want to just give my virginity away, either."

A sly smile slowly pulled across Kith's lips. "Well, there might be something."

Jack laid his hands flat on the table, leaning forward with desperation. "What?"

"I can make a potion," Kith explained. "It won't get rid of your virginity or anything like that, but it can mask the scent by covering it with another. "

"What scent?"

"Sex." Kith chuckled at Jack's surprised look. "If you take this potion regularly you'll constantly smell like you've recently had sex. Strong enough to be obvious, but weak enough that no one will be able to tell who you supposedly did it with. Only the strongest of noses will be able to detect a little bit of your virgin scent, but even then it'll be so weak they won't know it for what it is."

"I'll do it," Jack said enthusiastically.

"But," Kith cut in, "I will require something in return."

Jack's eyes narrowed, and he stiffened with suspicion. "What?"

"As I said, I am interested in powerful potions. Powerful potions require special ingredients." Kith pointed at Jack. "It just so happens that virgin blood is very good for love potions."

"You want my blood?" Jack felt uncomfortable with the prospect.

"Just a wee bit every now and then." Kith held his forefinger and thumb a short distance apart. "Just enough for my potions. And with how powerful _your_ scent is, I'm sure I can make the strongest love potions and aphrodisiacs on the market."

"Aphrodisiacs?" Jack asked warily.

"They're surprisingly popular with nymphs," Kith said matter-of-factly. He paused a moment. "…and satyrs."

Jack shuddered. He'd had a run in with a satyr once. It hadn't been pleasant.

He took a moment to mull over Kith's offer. He wasn't sure he was okay with his blood being used for potions, but then again…if the potion worked like Kith said, he'd be left alone. He wouldn't have to look over his shoulder constantly, or wake up in the middle of the night wondering if the sound a twig snapping was someone getting ready to attack him. He wouldn't have to scrub away the feeling of unwanted hands until he was bleeding and raw. He wouldn't be so _afraid_.

Jack gave a heavy sigh, and nodded. "Alright. We're agreed."

Kith smiled, and held out his hand. "You won't regret it, Jack."

They shook hands. Jack grinned uncertainly. "I hope you're right."

He really, really did.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!The next chapter'll be up in two weeks, I'm planning, since the story wasn't supposed to go up this week at all but I gave into urgings. The unicorns are coming, don't worry!**


	2. And I told you to be fine

**LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE.**  
**ALL OF YOU. JUST LOOK. I'M NOT ONLY POSTING A WEEK A EARLIER THAN IS AID I WOULD, IT'S NOT EVEN WEDNESDAY! I HOPE YOU ARE ALL PROUD OF YOURSELVES, WITH YOUR NICE COMMENTS AND URGINGS AND ATTEMPTED BRIBERY. Updates will continue regularly, so expect chapter 3 next week. *tosses hands in the air***  
**Songs this chapter was written to: _Breakeven_ by The Script; _Breathe_ by Ryan Star; _Casual Affair_ by Panic! At The Disco; and _Heartbreaker_ by P!nk.**

* * *

That nameless charm, with a strong magnetism, which can only be called "It."

-Elinor Glyn, _It_, 1927

* * *

Jack spent the following centuries learning that the potion, while effective, came with an unexpected price.

"_Of course I've lain with Jack Frost; who hasn't?"_

"_Desperate little Jack. He'll sleep with anyone."_

"_The slut'll accept anyone who asks him."_

"_It's no wonder he isn't permanently attached to anyone. Who would ever want such overused goods?"_

"_The only thing he's good for is sex."_

"_Who would ever try to keep Jack Frost?"_

No one. No one would ever try to get close to Jack Frost. Because Jack Frost was the mythical world's biggest slut.

The price you pay, he supposed, when you constantly smelled like sex. Even if that sex didn't incriminate anyone in particular. But that was fine. He was alright with it. It was better to be alone knowing what people thought of him, than to be surrounded by people whispering pretty lies that only wanted to use him. The only time people came around Jack Frost anymore was if they wanted to proposition him for sex—which he promptly refused. It had gotten to the point that the very idea of sex nearly disgusted him.

There was only one instance where Jack had almost given in to someone's request. One instance where he, for the first time, had been overcome by passion and actually _wanted_ to give in. And that was all thanks to one E. Aster Bunnymund, on Easter Sunday in 1968.

* * *

Jack was rubbing himself down with snow again. Funny, he hadn't felt the need to do that in at least two hundred years. His hoodie was thrown aside in the snow, his staff resting atop it as he scooped up a handful and rubbed his chest and arms. The sprite that had attacked him this time had been the first in a long time. The only time he ever got attacked nowadays was if he denied someone's proposition to sleep with the 'infamous slut' Jack Frost.

Jack knew his upset was making it flurry out, on top of the snow from the day before, but this would be the last snow of the season. Surely such a light snowfall wouldn't cause any problem.

Oh, how he'd been wrong.

Jack was tackled to the snow by a warm, soft mass of fur and muscle. From his position on his stomach he twisted to look at the person who now hovered over him, and discovered he'd been tackled by the Easter Bunny himself.

"You trying to ruin my holiday?" Aster snarled.

Fur tickled Jack's back, sending warm little shocks down his spine. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "What? I didn't…" Jack's mouth formed a small 'o.' "Is it Easter already?"

Aster grimaced. "Like you didn't know already."

"I didn't!" Jack rolled onto his back, and tried to shove Aster off. The Easter Bunny pulled away and stood, his glare never letting up.

"So this bloody blizzard is just an _accident_, then?" Aster gestured to the falling snow.

"It's a light _flurry_ you overdramatic fluff-ball." Jack rolled his eyes as he sat up, supporting himself back on his palms.

"Fluff—!" Aster made a sound like a low growl, and Jack was suddenly very aware that Aster's voice was pleasing to the ear.

"Aw," Jack cooed, blinkingly coyly, "is the kangaroo angry?"

"I am _not_ a kangaroo, mate." Aster took a deep breath, and paused. His anger gave way to confusion, and he gave a few more sniffs. He looked down at Jack knowingly. "Who are you?"

A gentle sadness overcame Jack. Damn, here it was. And he'd been really starting to enjoy this encounter, too. "Jack Frost."

Aster's face took on a knowing look, and he scanned his eyes over Jack's bare upper half. Jack resisted the urge to squirm self-consciously. Was he looking for love bites that didn't exist? Would Aster interpret the scratches from falling out of a tree last night as being from the nails of a phantom lover?

Yes. They always did.

"I've heard of you," Aster said slowly, and now that he was looking at Jack in a different light, he seemed to like what he saw.

"Have you," Jack stated dryly. He stood up, scooping up his staff and hoodie. He began walking away.

"Hey now!" Aster grabbed Jack's shoulder, and Jack was surprised when he wasn't immediately put off by the contact. "This was actually my last stop. I get pretty tired after doing my job, and could always use a pick me up." He looked a little embarrassed, but mostly seemed quite confident. "And I hear you're always raring for a go, and you're," Aster's eyes roved Jack again, and Jack felt an unexpected shiver of _arousal_ ripple under his skin, "_very_ attractive. What's say we give it a go?"

Well, that wasn't the most abrupt proposition he'd ever received, but it also wasn't subtle at all. Yet, strangely enough, Jack found himself having trouble saying no.

"I-I," Jack stuttered, "ah, I…" Oh, hell, he was _blushing_, wasn't he? His blush may have been pale and made his cheeks coat themselves with frost, but it would still be visible to someone as keen eyed as Aster was.

Aster carefully backed Jack against a nearby tree, a hand on one side of Jack's head against the bark, and the other running down Jack's arm. Any embarrassment Aster had felt at making the offer seemed to have fled in the face of Jack's blushing. Only confidence remained behind.

"Jack," Aster said lowly. His hot breath fanned across Jack's face, melting the frost of his blush just a bit. Jack placed a hand on Aster's chest just as he swooped in for the kill. Aster's mouth was different against his, but in a good way. It was the kind of different that Jack figured came from learning to kiss rather than naturally doing so—Aster being a Pooka and all. (Not that he had good knowledge on the Pooka. His information on that didn't expand much past them being shape-shifters and that Aster was the last.)

Jack's eyes dropped closed as the kiss continued, Aster's mouth shifting against his in a way that made him feel warm in a languid, comfortable way. It was a new experience, and Jack could almost describe it as being fun. If there was anything Jack liked, it was _fun._ Why hadn't he ever felt this before?

Because no one else had ever made it feel this way. The others had all been domination and take take _take_. No one else had made him feel warm. Made him feel like he wasn't just a piece of meat to be devoured.

But Aster moved slow. He seemed almost patient, like he had all the time in the world and there was no need to rush. Like he was savoring Jack.

…no one had ever done this before. No one had ever waited to touch his body. No one had ever _kissed_ him before.

Jack almost whimpered when Aster drew close enough that his fur brushed Jack's chest. Aster pulled away from the kiss, and chuckled when Jack blushed and looked away, embarrassed and nervous.

"You're being awfully shy," Aster noted, leaning down to press kisses along Jack's jaw, "considering you're so, well…"

Jack went stiff in his grip. Considering…?

Ah. Right. How had he forgotten? Of course. Bunny may be nicer than the others, but that didn't make him _different_; that didn't mean he thought of Jack as anything other than a convenient playmate.

After all, Jack Frost was a slut. That was all he'd ever be to them.

Jack's sudden unresponsiveness made Aster pull away, frowning down at him. "What's wrong?"

Jack pushed Aster away gently but forcefully. "No thanks."

"Jack?" Aster reached for him, but Jack dodged and skittered away. He called the wind, and it lifted him away as Aster called after him. "Jack!"

As he flew Jack was only vaguely aware of the heavier snowfall that had started up behind him in response to his upset. Which was ridiculous. He'd done this several times—rejected dozens of others. Why should rejecting Aster bother him?

Because no one else had been like Bunny, even if Aster also thought Jack was a slut.

But Jack had already made up his mind a long time ago that his virginity was his own to give away, and he wouldn't be doing it in some fling. No matter how much Aster had been the first to make him lose some of his control.

Behind him, the flurry became a blizzard.

* * *

The next decades were spent firmly avoiding the Easter Bunny.

Jack was careful to not be around on Easter, and it wasn't like he ever went to any of the special events or parties other spirits hosted. In truth, avoiding Aster wasn't very hard at all.

Avoiding the memory was a completely different matter. Jack spent many nights sleeping in snowbanks, staring up at the sky and tracing his lips absently. It hadn't been more than a simple kiss, no tongue or nibbling like he'd seen flying over cities some nights. But it had been his first, and it had been warm. And he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that wanted to try it again.

So it was that while he avoided the actual person, he actively sought out information about Aster. He was curious. Perhaps there was just something about Pooka specifically that made them difficult to deny? Like the fey that had attempted to _glamour_ him so long ago.

As decades passed and Jack learned everything form Aster's favorite color (green) to his favorite flavor of tea (lemon), he eventually realized that it wasn't the fact that Aster was a Pooka that made him hard to forget or resist. It was just purely _Aster_. He was a hard worker, he loved kids, he was passionate about art, and he brought life and hope wherever he went. Something in Jack quietly lamented how Aster would never see him clearly. He would have to settle for admiring from afar, even as his longing for a repeat of that one kiss grew stronger.

But that was the price Jack had to pay if he wanted to stay safe. No matter how much he hated it.

Besides, even if he _did_ want to say something, who would believe him? He smelled like sex. People had been claiming to have bedded him for centuries. He had nothing to prove himself but to stop taking the potion, and he couldn't do that. He wouldn't risk it. If nothing else, at least he had a listening ear in Kith.

Kith was someone Jack had come to call his friend. What other kind of person would listen to you rant over a single kiss for hours on end, over and over for decades? Sure Kith rolled his eyes a lot and gave Jack his patented 'you're being odd' look, but he _listened._ Kith could easily have kicked Jack out when he got annoying. Instead he'd made up a second bed in his home. A place he could go, Kith said, if he ever needed it.

Jack had never been more grateful to have met him.

Jack's ostracism and quiet longing continued until 2012, when the Man in the Moon made Jack a Guardian. It had certainly been awkward seeing Bunny again, but under the circumstances they'd had more to worry about. Pitch, for one.

Jack made a mental note to never ever _ever_ be alone with Pitch ever again. If he'd thought getting propositioned by General Winter had been creepy and awkward, the guy had nothing on Pitch. "Look what we can create" indeed.

Though, he had said some things that hurt more than Jack wanted to admit.

"_You think they trust you? That they __**want**__ you around? Silly Jack, no one wants a __**whore**__ standing at their side."_

Well, you certainly had, you jerk.

And maybe Bunny had hurt him too, if he admitted it. But they'd gotten over that, and Aster had apologized after Pitch had been put back in his place. Even if things were still awkward between them, at least they weren't hostile.

He had Believers now, and friendships. That was more than he'd ever hoped for before. He'd be content with that. (No matter how much it hurt to hope.)

* * *

**Someone needs to tell Bunny that's not what being subtle looks like. **  
**And that foot does not go in mouth. (Even if he didn't shove it in too far.)**  
**I like to imagine that the movie happened mostly the same, but with more innuendo and Pitch being creepy and an extra dash of angst. (And more teary-eyed Jack, cause I love that shit.)**


	3. And I told you to be balanced

**Here you go, baby birds. Let Frosty feed you all, now.**  
**Songs this chapter was written to: _Eyesore_ by Maria Mena (APPARENTLY I WAS IN THE MOOD FOR DEPRESSING); _I Write Sins Not Tragedies_ by Panic! at the Disco; _Dance of the Manatee_ by Fair to Midland; _It's My Life_ by Bon Jovi; and _Wanted Dead or Alive_ by Bon Jovi (I blame my Dad for the Bon Jovi streak).**

**Also, I am overwhelmed by the amount of positive feedback this story has gotten. Seriously. Like whoa guys.**

* * *

There is a demon who puts wings on certain stories and who launches them like eagles in the air.

-Alexandre Dumas, _La Dame du Monsoreau,_ 1849

* * *

"Where are we going?" Jack stumbled as he was strong-armed by North into the sleigh. He'd come to the Pole for the once-a-month meetings that had started since he joined. He hadn't expected they'd be going on a field trip.

"We are going to The Bonding Ceremony!" North explained as he firmly sat Jack down in his seat.

"The Bonding Ceremony?" Jack asked. "You mean the one with unicorns? And virgins?"

"That's the one." Tooth sat across from him on the fold-out seat. Her face scrunched as she took a breath, nose twitching subtly. Embarrassment churned in Jack's stomach when she turned her head away and took a delicate sniff to rid herself of what Jack knew was his sex smell. It had obviously bothered her since they'd first met, and he hated making her uncomfortable. "We didn't want to tell you ahead of time because we knew you wouldn't show up."

"Just like you didn't show up for the Summer Ball, or the Halloween Feast, or North's Christmas Party." Bunny hunkered down next to Jack, giving him an accusatory look. "We may have only been getting to know you for a year now, mate, but you've gotta stop avoiding these things."

Jack shrugged. "I've never gone to them before."

"You weren't a _Guardian_ before."

"And that should change things?" Jack smiled with a gusty laugh that was like a breeze across the snow. "No one wants me there, anyway."

It was quiet in the sleigh as North took off, and it was only when they'd gotten to open air that Sandy placed a hand on Jack's knee , sitting as he was on Jack's other side. He formed an image in sand of the other Guardians. _We want you._

Jack bit his lip. "Thank you, Sandy."

"We are going to have fun!" North declared from the driver's seat. "You will enjoy this—is only once a century occurrence!"

"Why aren't we using a snow globe to get there?" Jack asked when he noticed they were still flying over the ice caps.

"It is a special place," North replied. "Can not be reached by teleportation magic. Unicorns are very magical creatures."

"And very secretive," Bunny added.

Jack tapped the floor of the sleigh with his staff thoughtfully. "I don't know very much about unicorns, or this ceremony."

Tooth's eyes lit up. "Oh," she cooed, "I'll fill you in."

Thus Jack learned quite a bit about unicorns in the two hours it took to reach this mystical place (which turned out to be a giant, uncharted, magically protected island that was almost entirely forest floating in the middle of the ocean). It was a subject that Toothiana was apparently quite passionate about.

Unicorns, it turned out, _would_ show themselves for someone who wasn't a virgin, but would never _ever _bind themselves to someone who wasn't a virgin. Unicorns had lived on this special island for thousands of years, and rarely left. If they did, it was usually with a Partner—the virgin they'd Bound themselves to. The Binding was more akin to a partnership than an owner and pet situation. Unicorns were very intelligent; just as intelligent as any other spirit. Once Bound, the virgin could lose their virginity without having to worry about their unicorn leaving, because unicorns were loyal to their Partner for life, just as the Partner was loyal to the unicorn. Both unicorn and Partner bore a mark somewhere on their body to represent this special Bond. Unicorns were fantastic creatures to Bond with, Tooth explained, as they could see through any kind of magic, and their horns could in fact negate most enchantments with a single touch.

"You can never fool a unicorn," Tooth said seriously as they came in for a landing on the island. They were headed for the biggest patch of clear land, at least a mile wide, in the center of the island. A large party hall had been built in the middle, most likely for the celebration that would follow the ceremony.

Jack took these words in, and felt nervousness settle heavily across his shoulders. He sought to distract himself by asking more questions. "And this is done every century?"

Tooth nodded. "It's enough time for any new virgins to come of age in their scent, not that there are ever very many. The most that have ever been presented at once is seven. I think there are only four this year."

"Does each one always get a unicorn?"

Tooth laughed. "Hardly! Unicorns are very picky creatures, and while it's true you have to be a virgin for them to even consider you, sometimes that isn't enough." She smiled. "They can be very good judges of character, and they only go with the best." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Of course, there are also the rare cases where a virgin becomes Partners with more than one unicorn, but those hardly ever happen."

"Really?" Jack leaned forward, interested despite himself. "Like when?"

"Well, Mother Nature holds the record at five unicorns, but she'd been a virgin for two hundred years before she presented herself to them." She ticked off a finger. "So that's her. Oh! The Snow Queen got three, which is also the most any winter spirit has ever received."

"Wow." Jack looked off into the distance at the huge trees that made up the forest as the sleigh settled on the grass by the party hall. He almost wished…

"Well, let's get to socializing." Bunny stood up and stretched his limbs. He'd been clutching the seat the entire ride, and when Jack looked there were claw marks in the wood. "The Bonding Ceremony'll start up soon."

The Guardians climbed out of the sleigh, and Jack lost them in the crowd of at least two hundred spirits, mostly higher ups if he had to guess, that milled in the grass in front of the party hall. Well. That made this a hundred times more difficult. Jack casually strolled around the edges of the clusters of people, weaving around the different groups without ever joining them. He spotted Tooth speaking to a group of what seemed to be Kitsune women, and North had gotten into manly fist-pumps with some burly looking man Jack swore was Paul Bunyan. Sandy was having fun with a few nymphs, telling a story with his sand that seemed enthralling to them. He didn't see Aster anywhere, but even in a crowd like this Aster was sure to stand out eventually.

"Is that Jack Frost?" came the first whisper.

Jack froze for barely a second before he continued on. The whispers continued around him.

"_What's he doing here?"_

"_Doesn't he know this is a ceremony for __**virgins**__?"_

"_He's so used he probably can't even remember what being a virgin was like."_

"_As if the unicorns would ever spare a glance for a __**slut**__ like him."_

Jack hadn't realized how quickly he was walking until a hand came down on his shoulder. "Jack?"

Jack turned quickly, dislodging the hand. He looked down and breathed in relief. "Kith."

Kith looked at Jack's expression and immediately pulled him from the crowd. He led Jack to the shadow of the party hall, a bit away from the rest of the attendees. Once they were far enough away that Jack's tenseness eased, Kith released Jack's arm. They spoke with hushed voices. "Are you alright now?"

Jack nodded. "Thank you."

"Were they saying things?" Kith asked, anger tinting his voice.

Jack grinned ruefully down at his feet. "You know how it is, Kith."

"It ain't _right_." Kith crossed his arms, glaring at the few people who tried to peek over at them.

"It's just how things are. You know that—you're the one that made the potion in the first place."

"To protect you," Kith asserted. At Jack's raised brow he relented. "Alright, maybe not at first, but I didn't think of you as a friend at first." Kith huffed embarrassedly at the happy grin Jack gave him. "You were just a convenient potion ingredient then. It's not like that now. My potion was meant for protection, not this-this _ridicule._"

"What do you expect me to do about it, Kith?" Jack asked, sounding far more emotionally drained and tired than the Guardian of Fun and Joy had any right sounding. "I can't stop taking the potions."

"You didn't have anyone to help protect you then." Kith's eyes gleamed knowingly. "But you do now, don't ya?"

Jack looked away. "I don't know."

"The Guardians are your allies now, right? They seem to care about you, Jack. Maybe you should consider tellin' them."

Jack sighed under Kith's unrelenting stare. "I'll think about it," he acquiesced.

Kith nodded. "Good." He reached out and yanked down Jack by his hoodie strings. "Now," he hissed, "if you were so worried about being discovered then _what are you doing here in the first place_?"

"What's the problem?!" Jack yelped, face eye-level with the glaring leprechaun's.

"_Unicorns_," Kith elaborated, "can see through magic, Jack. That includes _potions_. They'll know you're a virgin in moments."

"I'm not going forward for the ceremony, Kith." Jack tried to loosen the grip the leprechaun kept on his hoodie strings. "They won't even realize I'm there."

"You'd better hope you're right."

"Jack?" Aster approached their position in the shadows. "The unicorns have been spotted in the tree line; everyone's getting ready for the ceremony." He paused as he took in the situation. His eyes narrowed on Kith. "Is everything alright? This bloke giving you trouble?"

"No, no trouble." Jack pulled himself free of Kith's suddenly slack grip, and strode past Bunny. "Come on, cotton tail. The others won't wait forever."

Jack continued on, oblivious to the tension taking place behind him.

* * *

Aster glared at the leprechaun before him. "If Jack says no, you'd better listen."

The leprechaun raised a mocking eyebrow. "Oh? And who're you to be saying such things?"

"His _friend._"

The pitying look was almost as bad as the eyebrow. "Of course. There are a lot of people who say they're his 'friends.'"

Aster nearly saw red. "I am _not_ like them."

"You're sure?" The leprechaun cocked his head. "Not even a little bit? You've never once looked at him _that_ way?" Aster became stiff. The leprechaun smirked. "I'd be worryin' about your own problem there." He walked past Aster, tossing a final few words over shoulder as he walked by. "I'm not the one lying to myself."

Aster clenched his fists, staring ahead with a tight jaw. Who even was that? Jack had obviously known him. He'd seen them talking for a few minutes before the leprechaun had grabbed Jack by his hoodie strings, prompting Aster to step in without thinking.

Aster took a deep breath. He'd known about Jack Frost before he'd ever met him. The boy'd always had a reputation that followed him about. Everyone knew that Jack Frost was a sluzzah. The first time they'd met he'd been frustrated, and it hadn't been until he'd heard Jack introduce himself that he'd been able to see through his anger at what he'd nearly missed. An expanse of smooth, pale skin; perfect for marking with possessive little marks and, if he was being honest, painting. The first moments he'd seen Jack Frost's chest bare he'd wondered what it would be like to draw his brush across that skin in bright blues and greens and purples.

And his scent. Despite the smell of sex that always lingered around him, there was something else, something altogether appealing that hinted itself just underneath. He could never clearly identify what it was, but it was sweet and lovely. It had confused him at first that a person with such a bad reputation would have such a nice smell. As he'd gotten to know Jack bit by bit the past year his opinion had flipped. Suddenly it was the sex smell that had seemed unfitting of Jack. His personality didn't match what his scent implied at all.

When they'd first met, Aster had been quite insulted when Jack had suddenly denied him. He knew the boy had had dozens of other partners, so why was Aster the one he rejected? Was it because he was a Pooka? Jack had seemed fine with his fur when he'd kissed him; he'd actually seemed to enjoy it! Had he just been found wanting?

Whatever it had been, it had been a blow to Aster's confidence for months afterwards. He knew he'd only been looking for a fling (with the hopes that maybe, if Jack liked it, then Aster might get a chance at a second, or a third, or a fourth opportunity), but something about their encounter had always lingered in his mind. A strange potential that he had no idea how to interpret.

That potential had come back recently, but with clearer intentions that he tried to deny. He wanted Jack Frost. That much was obvious. But he didn't want just one go at him, or two. He wanted permanence. He wanted to give exclusivity a try; to be the only one allowed to give Jack that scent or touch his skin.

He wanted to try keeping Jack Frost all to himself, and it drove him crazy how _jealous_ he got whenever Jack walked into the room smelling like sex. (Which was always.) It confused him as well. He'd never cared to associate himself with the type of person Jack Frost was made out to be. So why now? Was it because of the way his sex scent and his personality didn't seem to match up that caused him to overlook what was normally a very clear rule for him? He didn't know.

But this little red-haired leprechaun root rat wasn't helping any.

Aster took another calming breath and turned himself around. He needed to get to the others before the unicorns left the tree line and the ceremony started. If the leprechaun's words lingered in his ears and his lips suddenly remembered the feeling of a too-innocent kiss from long ago, then that was something he'd have to deal with.

* * *

Kith would have felt guilty for provoking Aster in such a way, but the Pooka had been hovering so obviously he had been powerless to resist stoking the fire a bit. Besides, he really was getting tired of listening to Jack _pine_ so much.

* * *

**The chapter where there are not actually unicorns, but unicorns are finally talked about, and you get an idea for where this story is going.**  
**Also, Bunny POV a bit!**


	4. And I told you to be kind

**YOU ASKED FOR IT.**  
**Here it is, darlings. Enjoy!**  
**Songs this chapter was written to: _Waiting For Superman_ by Chris Daughtry; _You and Your Hand_ by P!nk; _Breakeven_ by The Script; and _Living Louder_ by The Cab.**

* * *

Mock on, mock on, Voltaire, Rousseau;

Mock on, mock on; 'tis all in vain!

You throw the sand against the wind,

And the wind blows it back again.

-William Blake, _The Scoffers,_ c. 1804

* * *

Jack watched in quiet awe as the unicorns left the tree line. Their coats glistened opalescent white, their manes silky looking and fine. Atop their heads was a long, spiraling white horn, at least a foot and a half long. They also seemed wickedly sharp. The unicorns walked over the earth like it was air, graceful in every movement.

Tooth gasped. "Oh my goodness!"

"What?" Jack blinked at her. "What is it?"

"There's a baby with them! There's never been a baby before! Unicorns are very protective of their young."

Jack took a second look, and spotted the baby Tooth spoke of. It was a bit less graceful than its counterparts, its horn stubby and blunt and only a few inches long. It stood at just three feet tall rather than the older unicorns' five. Its head, Jack assumed, would have come up to just above his hip. It was also absolutely adorable.

A sudden question popped into his head. "Tooth? How can you tell which are male and which are female?"

"You can't." She grinned at him. "Unicorns are sexless."

He blinked. "Then how do they…?"

She shrugged. "No one's really sure."

Jack went back to watching the ceremony. The unicorns came about halfway through the field toward the crowd that watched excitedly. There were about eleven of them, including the baby. Seven of the unicorns, again, including the baby, remained sort of clumped together in a group, while the other four milled around slightly apart. At this point four older spirits, their magic and bearing dignifying them as some of the more powerful spirits in the world, stepped forward with their charge at their side. A kitsune elder gently coaxed her charge, another kitsune, forward toward the unicorns. The other three, a spring spirit, a tiny flower fairy the size of Jack's hand, and a male elf (the tall, elegant kind, Jack noticed, unlike the elves in North's workshop) were also pushed forward by their mentors.

Jack's magic swirled anxiously within him, reacting to the magic the unicorns exuded. He nearly stepped forward before he caught himself. He shoved his magic down, fighting the strange sense of anticipation that clamored in his heart.

The four virgins hovered near the unicorns. The flower fairy flew forward first, attempting to approach the group of seven. The unicorn at the head of the group looked down at her and turned its head away without second thought. The fairy slumped at the rejection and drew back. After that the other three made no move to step forward.

The four milling unicorns came to them instead, circling around them and sniffing at their hair. In the end one unicorn coaxed the male elf to place his hand on its muzzle. A soaring black bird appeared on the unicorn's flank, a matching mark appearing on the elf's neck. They were Bonded. Two unicorns did the same coaxing with the kitsune, and when the shy creature placed her hands on them the unicorns gained an image of stylized fire on their legs. The same fire-mark appeared in the fur of the kitsune's cheeks, sweeping across her jaw. The fourth unicorn turned away from the virgins, and walked back into the forest.

The spring spirit and flower fairy were left unchosen. There was silence as everyone waited for the group of seven unBonded unicorns to do something, but they continued to ignore the four virgins, and the crowd. As the crowd slowly came to realize that the unicorns would do nothing, and that the ceremony was effectively over, they began to cheer loudly. The elf's mentor clapped him on the shoulder, but the elf didn't seem to notice. He and his unicorn seemed quite enthralled with each other. The kitsune's mentor rushed over to her, delayed a bit by the protective unicorns that tried to ward her off, and swept her into a great hug.

"She must be proud," Tooth noted. "To have two unicorns choose you is a huge honor."

The two unchosen were brought back to their mentors and consoled. Jack glanced at them, feeling sympathy well in his chest. He'd never be chosen, either.

The crowd began moving toward the party hall. The Guardians waited rather than crowd the door, watching the seven unicorns that remained in the field.

"It's weird, though," Tooth said.

"What's weird?" Jack asked.

"The unicorns," Bunny interjected. "They've never just hovered around after a ceremony before. Usually they choose or they don't, and then head back into the forest, like that one did. But these seven," Aster pointed, "aren't doin' that. It's like they're waiting for something."

"Crowd is almost all in party hall!" North exclaimed. "We must go as well!"

Sandy shot off like a harpoon, bouncing excitedly in the air and leaving small specks of dream sand in his wake to sparkle the air.

Jack raised a brow. "He certainly likes to party."

North and Bunny shared a look. "You have no idea, mate," Aster deadpanned.

The group made their way towards the party hall. Jack took a moment to linger at the back of the group, and peek over his shoulder one more time at the unicorns.

Seven unicorns stared back. The one at the front, the one that seemed most like the leader of the group with a horn half a foot longer than the others', took a single step forward.

Jack rushed to the front of the group. "See you inside!" He flew over heads of the last few people in the crowd and followed after Sandy into the building. He tried to ignore the rolling excitement in his stomach.

_Not for you, Jack_, he reminded himself. _Never for you._

The thing about repeated abuse is that in time it can leave lasting imprints on the victim. After centuries of being called terrible names and being told he had no worth, Jack Frost was beginning to think he deserved it.

Really, an intervention of some sort couldn't have come at a better time.

* * *

The party hall was one great room, with tables and chairs lining the walls covered in food and drink. The center served as a dance floor and place for people to gather into social groups and chat. Four great windows were inlaid in the walls either side of the huge oak double doors the made the front entrance. Similar but smaller doors were set into the back wall as a rear entrance. Jack currently sat amongst the rafters of the high ceiling, occasionally flitting near one of the hanging chandeliers that provided the hall with bright light.

As high up as he was, it didn't quite put him out of earshot of the comments.

"_He's still here?"_

"_Maybe he thought seeing unicorns would make him feel like less of a slut."_

"_Not even a unicorn can get rid of that much disgusting debauchery."_

"_How dare he come here smelling like he does!"_

"_He probably let someone fuck him right before coming."_

Jack buried his face in his knees, covering his ears like it would make the voices stop. He just wanted to leave. It had been wonderful to see the unicorns, but now…he didn't want to hear it anymore. He _knew_ he shouldn't have come.

Jack lifted his head and stared blankly into the shadows. He wondered where Kith was. Maybe if he asked him, Kith might agree to leave with him and they could go back to Kith's home for tea. Jack could stay the night and forget this had ever happened, and tomorrow he'd help Kith gather herbs for his potions like they'd done so many times before. That, Jack decided, sounded nice.

Jack flew down from the rafters and landed silently on the edge of the crowd that filled the middle of the room. He walked around them all, searching for a short head of red hair. He yelped when he was grabbed from behind.

"What do we have here?" a voice purred in his ear. "A slut looking for someone to satisfy him?"

Jack tore from the grip, turning around to face a summer sprite. Pretty red eyes gleamed at him lasciviously. Jack noticed in his peripherals that he'd been surrounded by three others, two summer and one autumn sprite. He sensed they were only mid-level in their power, and likely hadn't been invited themselves to attend the ceremony. Most likely they'd come as some other powerful spirit's guests. It seemed being here had given them (or at least one, he mused, taking in the summer sprite instigator) a big head.

"Not at all," Jack said, hoping he sounded calmer than he felt.

"Oh, but I think you are." The summer sprite grabbed Jack's hoodie before Jack could take off. "You think you'll be okay taking four of us? I'm sure you've taken more than that before."

Jack blushed in anger. "Let go of me!"

The sprite leaned forward, blowing his hot breath on Jack's face. "Is the little bitch shy? I've heard of you, you know. You couldn't even make it longer than five years before losing your virginity. Were you that eager to become a _slut_ that you couldn't wait anymore?"

Jack, filled with humiliation, gripped his staff tight, ready to unleash his ice on the sprites—consequences be _damned_.

"Oi," Aster stepped up to the group with narrow eyes. "He said to let him go."

"He did?" The sprite pulled Jack forward, making him stumble into the sprite's chest. "I didn't hear him say that."

"Yeah, well I _did_." Aster's ears twitched atop his head in emphasis. "Now let him go."

"Why?" the sprite asked mockingly. "Is he your whore, Easter Bunny?"

By now the crowd had begun to take notice of their encounter. Conversations hushed as they all turned to watch and listen. At the sprite's comment, there were a few gasps. You didn't speak that way to the oldest spirit on the planet, barring Sandy. The same spirit who's existence kept life on the planet, and who's very being meant hope. You did not speak that way to E. Aster Bunnymund.

Apparently this dumb shit sprite had forgotten all of that.

"You'll be wanting," Aster said lowly, "to let go of him now."

The sprite's three friends had already sensed they were getting in way over their heads and backed off, but the summer sprite refused to release his grip on Jack's hoodie. "He's just a slut," the sprite continued. "It's not like it _matters_ to him who touches him."

It was then that the sprite made a Very Big Mistake. He reached down and gripped between Jack's legs. Jack yelped, humiliated and angry tears gathering in his eyes, his magic swirling in panic because there were people _watching_, and Bunny was _there,_ and he _wasn't_ a whore, really he wasn't—

The front doors burst open to the enraged whinnies of seven very angry unicorns. They plowed through the crowd, shoving aside those that weren't quick enough to throw themselves out of the way. The sprite released Jack in his shock, just as the unicorns reached them. The head unicorn, the one with the longer horn, kicked the sprite to the ground and hovered over him, its sharp horn pointed threateningly at his neck.

"No!" Jack may have hated what the sprite had done and said, but he didn't want him dead. "Don't hurt him!" He placed a hand on the unicorn's side.

A royal blue snowflake appeared on the unicorn's forehead, its horn rising from the center of the flake. A ribbon of blue added itself to the horn's spiral. A large blue snowflake appeared on the back of Jack's wrist.

Jack gasped and careened backward, his hands flailing behind him. He brushed two more unicorns with his hands, and they gained the same markings as the first. He spun, and in his attempts to avoid the unicorns bumped into three more as they surrounded him in a protective circle. His hands brushed against each, and they too gained the snowflake and ribbon of blue in their horn. In the end he stood with his hands tucked firmly to his chest in a circle of six unicorns, the leader having let the sprite go at Jack's earlier yell, each carrying his mark.

He looked over the backs of the unicorns into Bunny's wide eyes, biting his lip. "Um…"

Something nudged his side. Jack looked down at the baby unicorn, which stared up at him with great liquid eyes. Powerless to resist, he reach down and pet its nose. The baby unicorn gained the same markings as the others, and Jack watched as a final snowflake added itself to the marking on the back of his right wrist. Six smaller snowflakes now surrounded the larger snowflake, all of them connected by thin silver lines. Seven snowflakes in total. Seven unicorns.

_Oh, hell._

To add to the situation, the baby unicorn chose to butt against Jack's hand with its blunt horn, negating the effects of his potion and allowing Jack's natural virgin scent to permeate the room.

Several deep inhales could be heard in the quiet room, and Jack winced at the disbelieving and surprised looks that were being cast in his direction.

"Jack," Bunny murmured, "you're a virgin?"

"Uh." Jack looked around the room, catching the eyes of his fellow Guardians and biting his lip at the shock he found there. He grinned at Aster, small, nervous, and afraid. "Surprise?"

* * *

**One more chapter. One more week. You can do this, guys. You've been really enthusiastic about this story-I really appreciate it.**


	5. Who will love you?

**Wow. So, you guys have been great. Seriously. It was a blast writing this, and I'm so glad you all liked it so much. Here's the last chapter. Maybe I'll revisit this 'verse someday and write more. (This story is just DYING to have a 'seven times the unicorns cockblocked Aster and the one time they didn't' type thing.)**  
**I'm a bit sad to see it end, honestly.**  
**Songs this chapter was written to: _Nicotine_ by Panic! at the Disco; _Just Give Me A Reason_ by P!nk; _Cups_ from Pitch Perfect, as sang by Anna Kendrick; and _Here's To Us_ by Halestorm.**

* * *

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, Aug. 1, 1816

* * *

"_Jack Frost is a virgin?"_

"_But his scent was always…"_

"_Well look at the unicorns; they certainly seem to think he's pure."_

"_If the unicorns think so…"_

"_He gave them markings."_

"_It must be true."_

"Jack?" Bunny whispered.

Jack clenched his staff. "I...I"m a virgin."

It felt good to admit out loud. It felt like he was saying it to himself as much as he was them.

North pushed his way through the crowd, stopping when he reached the front and the unicorn nearest him raised its horn threateningly. He raised his hands to show he meant no harm. "We thought you were…ah," North halted himself, and coughed.

Jack's grin was bitter. "Potion."

"Why?" Bunny hadn't taken his eyes off of Jack.

Jack, hundreds of years of repressed fear and anxiety returning in a single moment of stress from a single word, felt his expression warp itself to match. "Because they kept _touching_ me and I was _scared!_"

A unicorn nudged its face against his neck from behind, and Jack's head curved into the comfort. The baby pressed its face into his side. The remaining unicorns firmed their positions around him, curling in a bit tighter. Tooth hadn't been kidding when she said unicorns were loyal, but seemed to have forgotten to mention the degree of their protectiveness.

He took a deep breath, and when he looked Bunny's hand was out, like he wanted to step forward, but the lead unicorn was being stalwart in its effort to keep everyone at bay.

"Oi!" The crowd was pushed aside as an angry leprechaun forced his way through. "Stop blockin' the path!"

"Kith." Jack smiled.

"I _told you_ this would happen!" Kith crossed his arms, disgruntled.

"You did," Jack acknowledged. "Sorry I didn't listen."

Kith clicked his tongue. "It's no matter now." He scanned Jack's face, since with his short height and the unicorns that was all he could see of him anyway. "Are you alright?"

"I…," Jack took a deep breath. "I don't know."

Bunny glanced between them, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "You two…"

"But all those rumors…" Toothiana hovered above the crowd just behind North. Sandy had moved to where the summer sprite still lay on the floor, trembling, and seemed to enjoy holding him down with his sand. Huh. Jack hadn't known that Sandy had a smile that threatening.

"Some people don't take rejection very well," Jack explained.

"So they were all lying? Everyone who ever said they'd lain with you?" Bunny scanned the crowd, and scowled when a handful looked away.

"Yeah." Jack swallowed heavily, and wanted nothing more than to get out of there. "North, can we go? Please."

North nodded.

It was times like this that Jack was grateful for North's bull-headedness. He cleared a path to the front door for Jack (and his unicorns, because they weren't letting him get away that easy). Jack, surrounded by unicorns, the big-horned one at the head and the baby trotting happily at his side, made his way from the hall, doing his level best to ignore the suddenly admiring looks he was getting from more than one person in the crowd. Behind him he heard a very apologetic centaur (one of those old, respected god of the forest types) retrieve the summer sprite from Sandy. From the sound of things, the sprite was going to be in very big trouble for a very long time…and would be punished very severely if he came _near_ Jack again, if the sudden whips Sandy was holding were anything to go by.

There was a rush of murmuring and shouted accusations from inside the moment the doors closed behind them. Jack gave it a wary glance. North and the others piled into the sleigh. Jack went to step forward, but the unicorns blocked his path. He huffed. "How am I supposed to get back to the workshop like this?"

The lead unicorn crouched down, and gave him a look. Jack stared at it. "…you know, I could just fly." A unicorn nudged him from behind, and he groaned. "Fine, fine." He climbed on the unicorn's back, making a little nervous noise when it stood up.

North took up his reigns, casting tiny amazed looks at the unicorns every few seconds. "You will explain more at workshop, da?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah."

"And I'll be there to help." Kith climbed into the sleigh, taking Jack's original seat.

"Oi!" Aster exclaimed.

"Kith!" Jack smiled at the leprechaun. "What are you doing?"

"Someone's gotta back up your story," he said. "I'm the only other one who knows it, so might as well be me."

"How do you know it?" Bunny asked.

Kith smirked. "Who do you think made the potions for him?"

"Right," Jack cut in before the conversation could continue. He gave North an apologetic look. "I guess he's coming with, if that's okay?"

North waved a hand dismissively. "Bah, this is nothing!"

"Thanks." He stared at the sleigh, then his unicorns. "Question. How are the _unicorns_ supposed to get back to the workshop?"

Tooth sighed with a dreamy little grin, giving the unicorns a glance of admiration. "You'll see, Jack."

The sleigh took off, and Jack stared after it as it rose into the sky. "Alright." He leaned forward to look into the unicorn he rode's eyes. "How do we follow?"

He swore it made an amused noise. Then it took a running leap and soared into the sky, the others following its lead. "Whoa!" Jack scrabbled to firm his grip. They caught up with the sleigh as Jack whooped. "You didn't tell me unicorns could fly!" he yelled.

"You never asked!" Tooth replied.

Jack laughed, and it was probably the most care free he'd sounded in a very long time.

* * *

Jack later found himself sitting on the floor in one of North's sitting rooms by the fireplace. He leaned back against the unicorn with the long horn (he really needed to figure out names for them, they were so hard to tell apart as it was) as the other six curled up around him. The baby snuggled into his side, and he pet its mane as he and Kith filled the Guardians in on Jack's long-kept secret.

"I was tired of being treated like I was a means to an end…like I wasn't a person." Jack looked away into the fire, bitterness tightening his features. "So when Kith offered his potion I accepted. Unfortunately this meant that people thought I was a slut, because I always smelled like sex. There were some people that tried to take advantage of this, but I always denied them. They usually went off claiming they'd bedded me anyway, like it was some sort of bragging right."

"You didn't say anything?" Tooth hovered next to North's chair. "You didn't deny their claims?"

"Who would have believed me? I'm a slut, remember?" Jack shrugged. "Besides, it was easier to let people believe what they wanted than try to come up with a story to explain the smell."

"Why would you offer to help Jack?" North asked Kith, who sat on the couch next to Bunny. "Not that I am not grateful you did, but why?"

"Virgin blood is a fantastic potion ingredient," he answered.

"That's it? Just for his blood?" North squinted his eyes, like he didn't approve of the answer.

Kith glanced at Jack, who was looking at him curiously, and sighed. "I maybe felt a bit sorry for him too." Jack frowned, and Kith glowered. "The first time I met you you were trying to rub your skin raw with snow after someone had attacked you. Yes, I felt sorry for you. But I stand by what I said; it was mostly for the blood back then."

"Thank you, Kith." Jack smiled softly.

Kith snorted and looked away.

"Well," North said jovially, humor in his tone, "there will be some spirits looking to take back their claims once word gets out that Jack Frost is actually a virgin."

Jack laughed, and it only came out a little bitter. "Too true." He pet the baby unicorn, running his hand along the stubby horn. "Where am I going to keep seven unicorns? I don't have any home to keep them, and I don't know the first thing about taking care of them."

"Unicorns will care for themselves," Tooth instructed. "They're very smart creatures, remember? They just need a place to run and settle down sometimes. They'd probably be more than happy to travel around with you, but that might get in the way of your work, so it might be a good idea to try and find someplace to settle down more permanently."

"Back on the island they had a huge forest to roam around in." Jack frowned. "Where am I going to find a place big enough for them to run about freely like that? I don't want to close them in entirely."

"You can stay with me."

* * *

Aster hadn't been sure what to feel.

Jack was a virgin? Guilt wormed through him. He'd been insulted to have been rejected by Jack, but under this new light…he'd been such a blowhard. He'd been the one coming on strongly to a virgin. A virgin working very hard to conceal himself (because he'd been _scared_, and that made every protective instinct in him stand at attention and _growl_), and who had apparently rejected others for less.

But in that case, why had Jack ever let Aster kiss him? Jack should have shoved him away from the get go! It should have never gotten so far as that, or the places it nearly went. But Jack hadn't, and it had. Hope perked its head. Did that mean that Aster was…special?

Guilt was momentarily stifled in favor of elation.

He was special to Jack? Jack had let _him, _E. Aster Bunnymund, kiss him after all. He hadn't let anyone else get close. Did that mean that, despite his previous screw up when they'd first met, that he might have a chance?

He listened to Jack's concerns for the unicorns, and knew instantly what he had to do.

(And besides, his mind whispered, even if Jack hadn't been a virgin; even if none of this had happened, would it have changed his feelings in the slightest? Would he have still felt this way if Jack had proven to be the 'slut' he was known as? It wouldn't have mattered, he realized, because Jack was Jack, and that was what he wanted. And that made all the difference.)

"You can stay with me," he offered.

Jack blinked, and when he looked at Aster it was with a blush that sent warmth to Aster's toes. "I-I can't possibly do that!"

"Why not?" Bunny drummed his fingers on his knee. "There's plenty of room in the Warren for your unicorns to feel free to play around, so long as they don't mess with the googies. And it's not like you take up much space as it is, you slip of wind."

Jack frowned in a way that was more of a pout. "I am not. And this is _seven_ unicorns we're talking about Bunny. That would be a huge addition to your home."

"It's not like there's anyone living in it but me, anyway." A flash of long ago pain struck his heart, and was gone as quickly as it came. "I've been thinking the place needed livening up, and you might as well be the one to do it."

"Well…" Jack bit his lip. "If you're sure."

"I am."

Jack's smile spread like the petals of a flower on his lips, soft and sweet. "Thank you."

Oh _hell, _Aster realized. He was falling faster than he'd thought.

* * *

It didn't take long to get the unicorns to the Warren. As it turns out, they took to the tunnels just as easily as they'd taken to the air. They'd been reluctant to leave Jack's side at first, but he eventually managed to coax them into exploring their new home.

"So I guess I'll find a tree to sleep in," Jack said, making to head down the hill they stood on towards some trees he spotted at the bottom.

"Oh, no you don't." Bunny blocked his path bodily. "There's no need for you to go sleepin' in trees when there's a perfectly good nest we can share."

Jack blushed, rearing back. "That's—that's not necessary! I'm fine sleeping in a tree!"

Bunny's eyes scanned his face, lingering on Jack's frosted cheeks. He sighed. "I suppose, if it makes you that uncomfortable."

"It's not that…" Jack ran a hand over his face frustratingly.

"Then what is it?" Aster looked Jack in the eye, and seemed to come to a decision. "Jack, why did you let me kiss you?"

Oh, if he'd been human Jack's face would have been flaming red by now. "What?!"

"In 68'," Bunny clarified. "You let me kiss you. You should have pushed me away." He took a step forward. "Why didn't you?"

"Because, because," he sputtered, "you…were the only one who'd ever tried."

Bunny blinked. "Really?"

Jack nodded. "All the others, before and after I started taking the potion, always went straight for the main event. They tried to take what they wanted, assuming I'd go along with it. They never tried to kiss me—they never _wanted_ to kiss me. But you…" Jack looked at Bunny with a steady gaze. "You wanted to kiss me. You made it seem like an experience to be shared rather than stolen, and that was all I'd ever been used to."

Jack looked away, his voice becoming quiet. "I didn't know it could feel like that."

"But you did push me away," Bunny pointed out.

"Only because you brought up my, ah, 'reputation.'"

Aster looked appropriately chagrined. "I'm sorry, Jack. 'Reputation' or not, I still shouldn't have been so forward."

"Don't be." Jack looked down at his feet, and hid his eyes with one hand as he curled his staff close with the other. He was afraid to look at Bunny anymore. "Truth is," he took a deep, calming breath to gather his courage, "I've admired you for a long time. I've _liked_ you for a long time. I've wanted you to…to kiss me, again, for a long time."

There was a sound of footsteps, and Jack felt Bunny's warmth come to a stop in front of him. "Then why don't I get on that?"

Jack peeked up through his fingers. "You mean it?"

Aster ran a hand through Jack's hair. "Always."

Jack let his hand drop, and lifted his head up. As Aster leaned forward, he whispered nervously, "Just a kiss?"

"Just a kiss," Aster murmured.

And it was. Just as it had been back then, Aster's mouth was different against his, but good different. Fun different. And perhaps, Jack felt as those thin lips slid gently along his in the most glorious of frictions, in time, they might even be joyful different.

Aster pulled away with a small sigh, and buried his head in Jack's shoulder. Jack stood on tiptoe and wrapped his arms around Aster's shoulders, dropping his staff for the moment. He wondered if his face was as dreamy looking as his heart felt.

Jack could get used to 'just a kiss.' Eventually he'd get used to more than that, but until then, he'd have fun exploring it, _sharing_ it, with Aster.

"I was so jealous," Aster mumbled against his shoulder. "Didn't know why at first. But I've always wanted to hold you like this, Jack. To be allowed to touch you."

The sentiment in those words shook him to the core, and Jack's lip trembled until he bit down on it. "Always wanted that too," he murmured back.

Bunny chuckled, and held Jack closer. For a moment they were quiet. "Does this mean you're sleepin' in the nest after all?"

He laughed. "Maybe. As long as it's _just_ sleeping."

"Of course." Bunny nuzzled his face into Jack's hair behind his ear. "I can work with that."

Jack smiled, enjoying the warmth. He looked over Bunny's shoulder, and blinked.

"Um, Aster?"

"Mmhmm?"

"I think the unicorns want to gore you."

Aster froze as something sharp poked at the base of his spine. He slowly let Jack go, and the sharpness retreated. He turned around, and seven unicorns, the baby at the front, _stared him down._

"Well," he said, more than a little intimidated, "looks like you won't be wantin' for protectors anytime soon."

Jack laughed heartily, and then gasped in realization. "Oh my gosh!"

"What?" Bunny glanced over at him.

"I can't wait to introduce them to Cupcake!"

* * *

**OH HELL THAT'S RIGHT. If I do write a sequel someday, I'll have to include Cupcake meeting the unicorns. Because Jack would so let her meet them, and she would be so damn happy. But that's the end. I hope no one's too disappointed. It just felt like a good place to end it (for now, maybe...that sequel is niggling and might happen *shrug*)**


End file.
